TRACE METAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SPORULATION OF BACILLUS MEGATERIUM

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Abstract
A sucrose-mineral salts medium was purified for the purpose of definitively re-examining the trace metal cations associated with the sporulation of B. megaterium. Two heretofore unknown requirements for copper (0.013/[mu]g/ml of cupric ion) and molybdenum (27.2 [mu]g/ml of molybdate ion) were uncovered. In the purified copper-supplemented medium, sporulation levels of other metals were determined as follows iron, 0.5 [mu]g/ml of ferrous ion; zinc, 1.1 [mu]g/ml of zinc ion; manganese, 0.037 [mu]g/ml of manganous ion; and calcium, 0.9 [mu]g/ml of calcium ion. The approximate time during which the various metals were required was determined with iron, zinc, calcium and manganese. A molybdenum substitution for copper, iron, or zinc was noted. The copper requirement was shown for the sporulation of B. cereus var. mycoides and var. albolactis, suggesting that this may be a general requirement for sporulation. The specific functions of metal ions in sporulation are not known, but they probably act as activators of the various enzyme systems necessary for sporulation.